Self-closing door mechanism or hinge



Oct. 3, 1967 E. M. WEBSTER 3,344,462

SELF-CLOSING DOOR MECHANISM 0R HINGE Filed April 21, 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR:

l G 6 EDWARD M.WEBsTER BYWWW A TTORNEYAS Oct. 3, 1967 E. M. WEBSTER 3,344,452

SELF-CLOSING DOOR MECHANISM OR HINGE I 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 21, 1965 90 FIGJZ. I05

INVENTOR: EDWARD M.\/VEBsTER BY ya wfw A TTO R N E YS United States Patent 3,344,462 SELF-CLQSING DOOR MECHANISM OR HINGE Edward M. Webster, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock (10., Rockford, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 449,823 13 Claims. (Cl. 16-80) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLGSURE A self-closing door mechanism or hinge for attachment to a cabinet and cabinet door including a bracket mounted on one member and a housing mounted on the other member; the housing having a cam surface therein, a cam follower moving on the cam surface and a linkage connecting the cam follower and bracket. A pivot pin is mounted in the housing spaced from the cam surface and spring-biasing means connects the pivot pin and cam follower; the cam surface having a curved portion of a constant radius adjacent the bracket with the pivot pin as the axis of this surface, a curved portion of increasing radius relative to the pivot pin and a retaining portion. The spring-biasing means cooperating with the cam surface and follower tends to urge the follower to the cam surface retaining portion to close the cabinet door.

The present invention relates to a novel mechanism for the door of a cabinet and more particularly to a novel self-closing door mechanism or hinge.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a door closer mechanism for a cabinet assembly including a cabinet and its door or closure, a housing secured to the cabinet frame or the cabinet door and a bracket or hinge wing secured to the other cabinet member. If the door closer mechanism is in the form of a hinge, the hinge wing is pivotally mounted on the housing. A spring-biasing means within the housing and connected to the bracket or hinge wing allows for opening of the cabinet door through an arc of approximately 110 and provides a self-closing movement of the cabinet door from 0 to approximately 45 opening thereof.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a self-closing door mechanism or hinge having a means for spring-biasing a door closed from approximately a 45 opening, but which will aid in retaining the door in open position for an arc of movement from a point beyond 45 to a full opening of approximately 110. The springbiasing means is pivotally mounted within the housing at one end and at the opposite end is pivotally mounted to the base portion of a generally U-shaped link, the outer ends of the link being pivotally connected to the bracket or hinge wing.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a self-closing hinge with a spring-biasing means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide members and a compression spring. The spring-biasing means is pivotally mounted at opposite ends to the housing and a generally U-shaped link and the housing is provided with a pair of irregularly shaped aligned slots in the parallel side walls of the housing. The slots receive the base portion of the U-shaped link and are so curved as to allow the spring-biasing means to close the cabinet door from 0 to approximately 45 but to prevent the spring-biasing means to actuate the door from a point beyond 45. The latter portion of the slot has a radius having the pivotal mounting for the spring-biasing means in the housing as an axis therefor.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a self-closing hinge which may be easily adapted lCC and attached to various styles and configurations of cabinets and cabinet doors.

The present invention also comprehends the provision of a self-closing door mechanism which is secured to the cabinet frame and door and is separate from the hinges for the cabinet door. The housing containing the spring mechanism may be mounted either on the cabinet door or in the cabinet frame with the bracket for the connecting linkage mounted on the opposite member. The linkage comprises either a pair of links at the exterior of the housing or a single link extending into the housing to be secured to a follower which is also connected to the spring mechanism pivotally mounted in the housing.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a self-closing door mechanism having a curved cam mounted Wholly within the housing and the spring mechanism and link are connected to a cam roller which contacts and moves over the cam to provide the retaining and self-closing functions of the door mechanism.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the present invention for a novel self-closing hinge assembly shown in closed position and disclosing the manner in which the assembly may be attached to a door pivoted about a vertical axis or pivot pin.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the hinge taken on the line 22 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but with the hinge shown in a position Where a door would be opened through an arc of approximately FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the hinge in closed position showing the spring-biasing means within the housing.

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the hinge in closed position and showing the hinge wing.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a guide member utilized in the spring-biasing means.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the self-closing door mechanism separate from the hinges for the cabinet door.

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the self-closing door mechanism of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal cross sectional view of a third embodiment of self-closing door mechanism having an inner cam.

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational View of the mechanism of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a horizontal cross sectional view of a fourth embodiment of self-closing door mechanism with the housing being mounted on the cabinet frame.

FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 11.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein are shown illustrative embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 1 discloses the self-closing hinge 10 mounted on a cabinet 11 and utilized with a door 12. FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose a self-closing door mechanism 13 similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 except the mechanism is separate from the door hinges and the bracket is not hinged to the housing. FIGS. 9 and 10 show a third embodiment of a self-closing door mechanism 14 utilizing an inner cam and cam roller arrangement while the selfclosing door mechanism 15 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 has the housing mounted within the cabinet rather than on the cabinet door.

The hinge assembly includes a hinge win-g or bracket 16 adapted to be secured to the cabinet frame and a housing 17 having mounting flanges 18 with spaced openings 19 for suitable securing means to secure the housing to a cabinet door. The housing is channel-shaped having parallel side walls 21 joined by a base 22; one end 23 of the housing being closed and the opposite end facing the hinge wing or bracket 16 remaining open. The mounting flanges 18 are positioned perpendicular to and are integral with the side walls 21 at the edge opposite the edge joining the base 22. The parallel sides have aligned openings 24 to receive a pivot pin 25 for a spring-biasing means 26.

The spring-biasing means 26 includes a pair of identical opposed guides '27, 27*, one of which is shown in FIG. 6, each guide having a flat body 28 with an inwardly extending slot or groove 29 at one end and an enlarged head 31 at the opposite end. The enlarged head includes an opening 32 and forms a pair of shoulders 33 to engage one end of a spring 34. As clearly shown in FIG. 4, the two guides are mounted in parallel sliding engagement with the flat bodies 28 received within the spring 34; the ends of the spring bearing against the shoulders 33 of the oppositely disposed heads 31. The opening 32 in the guide 27 receives the pivot pin 25 While the opening 32 in the guide 27 receives the base or follower 36 of a generally -U-shaped link 35.

The link 35 is provided with the base or follower 36 extending through irregular extruded slots 37 in the sides of the housing and joining bent diverging arms 38 at the exterior of the housing which terminate in outwardly extending ends 39 connected to the hinge wing 16. The irregular slots 37 are aligned in the side walls 21 of the housing 17 to allow movement of the link 35 as the hinge opens and closes and include a short retaining section 41 adjacent the closed housing end 23 followed by curved section 42 joining the section 41 at approximately right angles. The curved section 42 merges into a substantially straight intermediate section 43 which extends to a point generally aligned with the openings 24 in the housing; such that a line passing through the end of section 43 and the opening 24 is substantially perpendicular to the mounting flange 18.

The slot terminates adjacent the open end of the housing in a curved section 44 having a radius of curvature with the opening 24 at the axis thereof. It should be noted that the distance from the center of the slot 37 to the opening 24 gradually decreases through the sections 42 and 43 and then the distance remains constant in the curved section 44. These slots 37 allow movement of the base or follower 36 of the link 35 therethrough resulting in compression or expansion of the spring 34 as the guides 27, 27 are moved relative to each other. This will provide for the self-closing movement of the hinge as will be later described.

The mounting flanges 18 extend forwardly beyond the open end of housing 17 and terminate in curled or rolled ends 45 which provide spaced passages to receive a hinge pin 46. The hinge wing or bracket 16 includes a mounting plate 47 having openings 48 to receive suitable securing means to aflix the hinge wing onto a cabinet frame and a flange 49 at right angles to the plate 47. The flange 49 includes an angularly arranged edge 51 which is provided with three spaced curled or rolled portions 52 complementary and fitting between and on each side of the curled ends 45. The hinge pin 46 passes through all five curled portions and is headed at both ends to provide a permanent pivot between the housing 17 and hinge wing 16. An ear 53 is formed on each short edge of the base plate 47 and at right angles thereto; each ear being provided with an opening to receive an end 39 of the link 35.

In operation, the housing 17 is secured to the interior surface of a cabinet door and the hinge wing 16 is secured onto an edge of the cabinet frame. With the door in closed position, the spring 34 is fully expanded and the hinge assembly is in the position shown in FIG. 1. As the door is pulled open, the housing 17 is pivoted on the hinge pin 46 relative to the hinge wing or bracket 16, and the base or follower 36 of the link 35 is moved out of the retaining section 41 into the curved section 42 and causing the guides 27, 27 to move toward each other compressing the spring 34 and pivot about the pin 25. Compression of the spring continues as the base 36 passes through the section 43 where the spring is compressed to the maximum extent with the guides 27, 27 being shifted to the position shown in FIG. 3 where the slots 29 accommodate the pivot pin 25 and the base or follower 36 of the link 35. The remaining travel of the housing 17 with the follower 36 moving in the section 44 is accomplished without further spring compression.

The door will be held in its opened position as the spring 34 urges the base or follower 36 of the link 35 outward against the edge of the irregular slot 37 to frictionally prevent movement. When the door is moved toward closed position and the housing pivoted in the opposite direction, the base or follower 36 of link 35 is urged against the edge of the slot 37 farthest away from the pivot pin 25 and the frictional contact between the fol lower 36 and the slot edge tends to prevent movement until the follower 36 enters the substantially straight portion 43 passing the perpendicular from the flange 18 through the pin 25. Then the distance between the pin and the slot gradually increases allowing the spring to begin expansion. As the distance increases more rapidly, the force of the spring overcomes the frictional forces and the spring suddenly expands to automatically close the door through the last approximately arc of closing movement.

The hinge assembly will provide opening movement of a door up to a maximum arc of approximately 110 and provides a self-closing action for the arc of movement from 0 to approximately 45 arc of opening of the hinge.

The self-closing door mechanism 13 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 includes :a housing 54 which may be formed of a plastic material and has mounting flanges 55 with openings 56 for suitable securing means such as screws 57 to secure the housing onto the cabinet door 12*. A bracket 58 is mounted on the cabinet 11 and includes a flat plate having spaced ears or flanges 59 at opposite edges with openings for rivets 61 to pivotally secure one end of the links 62 to the bracket. The flanges 59 are sufliciently spaced to receive the reduced end of the housing 54 therebetween, but the bracket and housing are not connected together save through the links 62.

A pivot pin 63 is mounted within the housing 54 and a follower 64 extends through the housing and is pivotally secured to the opposite ends of the links 62. Spring-biasing means 65 is substantially identical with that shown in the first embodiment for the self-closing hinge 10 and includes a pair of identical oppositely disposed guides 66, 66 which are identical with the guides 27, 27 and a compression spring 67. Function of the spring-biasing is the same as disclosed in the previous embodiment. The housing includes aligned curved slots 68 in the Walls thereof having a curved area 68 of constant radius with the pivot pin 63 as the axis for the curved position, a curved area 68 where the radius of curvature about the pivot pin 63 gradually increases and a short retaining area 68. The follower 64 extends through and moves in these slots 68 as the door is opened and closed. The operation of this mechanism 13 is the same as that of the self-closing hinge 10 previously described.

The third embodiment of self-closing door mechanism 14 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 includes a housing 69 having mounting flanges 70 with openings 71 for suitable securing means 72 to secure the housing to the cabinet door 12 A bracket 73 is secured to the cabinet 11 by suitable securing means 74, and the bracket includes an car 75 formed at right angles to the bracket for a rivet 76 to pivotally mount one end of an elongated link 77 thereto.

The opposite end of the link 77 is pivotally mounted on a shaft or follower 78 located wholly within the housing 68. The housing includes an inner curved cam 79 preferably formed of a plastic and suitably secured within the housmg.

A pivot pin 81 extends across the housing 68 for pivotally mounting one end of a guide or arm 82; the opposite end of the guide being pivotally mounted on the shaft or follower 78. The arm 82 includes an elongated slot 83 at one end, the slot receiving the pivot pin 81, and the opposite end of the guide or arm has an enlarged head 84 providing shoulders 85, the head having an opening to receive the shaft 78. A compression spring 86 is positioned to encompass the guide or arm 82 with one end of the spring abutting the pivot pin 81 and the opposite end of the spring engaging the shoulders 85 of the enlarged head 84.

The shaft or follower 78 carries a cam roller 87 thereon between the arm 82 and the link 77, the roller riding on the inner cam 79. As in the previous embodiments, the cam includes a curved portion 79 of constant radius having the pivot pin 81 as an axis, a curved portion 79 having a gradually increasing radius from the pivot pin 81 and a retaining portion 79. A stop 88 is formed on the outer end of portion 79 of the cam 79 to limit movement of the roller 87 and thus limit opening movement of the door. This mechanism 14 operates in a manner similar to the first two embodiments except that the guide or arm 82 moves inward relative to the pivot pin 81 as the guide is rotated by movement of the roller 87 on the cam 79 against the force of compression spring 86; the inward movement relative to pivot pin 81 being allowed by the elongated slot 83.

A fourth embodiment of self-closing door mechanism is disclosed in FIGS. 11 and 12 having a housing 89 which is secured to the cabinet frame 11 by suitable means 90 and a bracket 91 secured to the cabinet door 12 by suitable securing means 92. The bracket 91 includes an ear 93 at right angles to the bracket for a rivet 94 to pivotally mount one end of an elongated bent link 95. The housing 89 includes a pivot pin or rivet 96 for spring-biased means 97 including a pair of guides 98, 98 each guide having an elongated body with an elongated slot 99 adjacent one end to receive the pivot pin 96, and at the other end having an offset flange 101.

The flanges 101, 101* of the guides 98, 98 are offset in opposite directions to provide a space for a cam roller 182 mounted on a shaft or follower 183 extending through openings in the flanges 181, 101 The elongated bodies of the guides 98, 98 are positioned in parallel abutting relation and a compression spring 104 encompasses the guides with one end of the spring abutting the pivot pin 96 and the opposite end abutting the offset portion of the flanges 101, 101 The link 95 is pivotally mounted on its end opposite the bracket 91 on the shaft or follower 103.

A wholly enclosed curved cam 185, preferably formed of a plastic material, is mounted within the housing 89 and held in operative position through the securing means 90 for the housing. The cam includes a curved portion 105*- of a constant radius and having the pivot pin 96 at the axis for the curve. The curved portion 105 has a stop 1G5 at one end to limit motion of the roller 102 and at its other end merges into a curved portion 105 of a gradually increasing radius relative to the pivot pin 96. The portion 105 terminates in a short retaining portion 105 and a stop 105 is positioned to guide the roller 102 into the retaining portion 105 Operation of this embodiment is substantially identical with that of the third embodiment except the housing 89 remains stationary within the cabinet and the bracket 91 and link 95 move with the opening and closing movement of the cabinet door.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A hinge assembly providing a self-closing action from approximately 45 open position comprising a hinge wing adapted to be secured to a cabinet and a housing adapted to be secured to a cabinet door, said housing including parallel side walls joined by a base and having outwardly extending mounting flanges, said housing being closed at one end and open at the end adjacent the hinge wing, a pivotal mounting joining one edge of the hinge wing with the open end of the housing, said side walls having elongated irregular aligned slots therein, a generally U-shaped link having a base extending through said slots and said housing and joining a pair of divergent arms terminating in outwardly extending ends, a pair of spaced ears on said hinge wing adjacent the edge opposite said pivotal mounting receiving the ends of the link, and springbiasing means within said housing including a pivot pin mounted in said housing nearer the open end thereof, a pair of oppositely disposed guides and a spring urging said guides outwardly, one guide being pivotally mounted on said pivot pin and the opposite guide being pivotally mounted on said link, said irregular slots each having an arcuate portion adjacent the open end of the housing with the pivot pin as the axis of the arc, a generally straight portion extending from the arcuate portion toward the closed end of the housing and a second arcuate portion merging onto the opposite end of the straight portion and adjacent the closed end of the housing.

2. A hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said guides are mounted for sliding movement relative to each other, each guide having an enlarged head with an opening for a pivotal connection and an elongated fiat body with a slot opening in the end opposite the head, said spring encompassing the flat bodies of the guides and having the ends of the spring abutting the enlarged heads thereof.

3. A hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which the distance between the pivot pin and the irregular slots remains constant in the arcuate portion adjacent the open end of the housing, slowly increases in the initial part of the straight portion adjacent the pivot pin and then rapidly increases in the remainder of the straight portion and in the second arcuate portion adjacent the closed end of the housing to provide for the self-closing action of the hinge.

4. A door mechanism provided with a self closing action for attachment to a pair of relatively movable members such as a cabinet door hinged on a cabinet frame, comprising a housing secured to one member and a bracket mounted on the other member, said housing including a curved cam surface therein, a cam follower in said housing and moving over said cam surface, at least one link pivotally mounted at one end on said bracket and operatively connected at the opposite end to said cam follower, a pivot pin extending through said housing spaced from said cam surface, at least one guide operatively connected at one end to said cam follower and mounted for limited reciprocable and for pivotal movement relative to said pivot pin, and a compression spring encompassing said guide and urging the cam follower to the end of the cam surface away from the bracket to positively close the cabinet door.

5. A door mechanism provided with a self-closing action for attachment to a pair of relatively movable members such as a cabinet door hinged on a cabinet frame, comprising a housing secured to one member and a bracket mounted on the other member, said housing including a curved cam surface therein, a cam follower in said housing and moving over said cam surface, a link pivotally mounted at one end on said bracket and operatively connected at the opposite end to said cam follower, spring-biasing means pivotally mounted in said housing and operatively connected to said cam follower and link to urge the cam follower to the end of the cam surface away from said bracket to positively close the cabinet door, and a pivot pin mounted in the housing and pivotally mounting the spring-biasing means, said curved cam surface including a curved portion of a constant radius having the pivot pin as an axis, a curved portion of a gradually increasing radius relative to the pivot pin and a short retaining portion to which the cam follower is normally urged by the spring-biasing means.

6. A door mechanism as set forth in claim 5, in which said curved portion of constant radius is positioned in said housing adjacent said bracket.

7. A door mechanism provided with a self-closing action comprising a housing mounted on a cabinet door and a bracket mounted on a cabinet frame, said housing having side walls with a pair of aligned curved irregular slots formed in the side walls, at least one link pivotally connected at one end to said bracket, a follower extending through said housing and slots and operatively connected to the other end of the link, spring-biasing means pivotally mounted in said housing and connected to said follower to urge the follower to the ends of the slots away from said bracket to retain the door in closed position, and a pivot pin in said housing forming the pivot for the springbiasing means, the distance between said pivot pin and said slots increasing toward the end of the slots away from the bracket to allow rapid expansion of the spring-biasing means for a self-closing action of the mechanism, said slots including a curved area of constant radius with the pivot pin as an axis, a curved area of increasing radius relative to the pivot pin and a short retaining area at the end of the slots.

8. A door mechanism provided with a self-closing action comprising a housing mounted on a cabinet door and a bracket mounted on a cabinet frame, said housing having side walls with a pair of aligned curved irregular slots formed in the side walls, at least one link pivotally connected at one end to said bracket, a follower extending through said housing and slots and operatively connected to the other end of the link, spring-biasing means pivotally mounted in said housing and connected to said follower to urge the follower to the ends of the slots away from said bracket to retain the door in closed position, and a pivot pin in said housing forming a pivot for said spring-biasing means, said spring-biasing means including a pair of oppositely disposed guides each having an enlarged head at one end and a spring encompassing said guides and abutting said heads, one head being pivotally connected to said pivot pin and the opposite head being pivotally connected to said follower.

9. A hinge assembly provided with a self-closing action comprising a hinge wing and a channel-shaped housing, a hinge pin pivotally joining one edge of the hinge wing to an end of the housing, said housing having aligned parallel sides with outwardly extending mounting flanges, said sides having irregular aligned slots therein, a generally U-shaped link having a base extending through the aligned slots and housing joining diverging arms of said link which terminate in outwardly extending ends, said ends being connected to the hinge wing at a point spaced from said hinge pin, spring-biasing means within said housing, and a pivot pin extending across said housing, said spring-biasing means being mounted at one end on said pivot pin and at the opposite end on the base of the link, said irregular slots each including curved end portions connected by a generally straight portion, said pivot pin being mounted at the axis of the curved portions adjacent the hinge pin, the distance between the irregular slots and the pivot pin rapidly increasing toward the end of the slots away from the hinge pin to provide rapid expansion of the spring-biasing means and produce a selfclosing movement of the link for the hinge wing.

10. A hinge assembly provided with a self-closing action comprising a hinge wing and a channel-shaped housing, a hinge pin pivotally joining one edge of the hinge wing to an end of the housing, said housing having aligned parallel sides with outwardly extending mounting flanges, said sides having irregular aligned slots therein, a generally U-shaped link having a base extending through the aligned slots and housing joining diverging arms of said link Which terminate in outwardly extending ends, said ends being connected to the hinge wing at a point spaced from said hinge pin, spring-biasing means within said housing, and a pivot pin extending across said housing, said spring-biasing means including a pair of op positely disposed guides each having an enlarged head at one end and a compression spring encompassing said guides and abutting said heads, one head being pivotally connected to said pivot pin and the opposite head being pivotally connected to said base of the link, the distance between the irregular slots and the pivot pin rapidly increasing toward the ends of the slots away from the hinge pin to provide rapid expansion of the spring-biasing means and produce a self-closing movement of the link for the hinge wing.

11. A door mechanism provided with a self-closing action for a cabinet door hinged on a cabinet frame comprising a housing and a bracket mounted on a cabinet and a cabinet door, a curved cam mounted within said housing, a cam roller in said housing movable on said cam, a pivot pin mounted in said housing spaced from said cam, spring-biasing means in said housing and pivotally mounted on said pivot pin, a follower shaft for said roller and connected to said spring-biasing means, and an elongated link extending into said housing and pivotally mounted at one end onto said bracket and at the other end on said shaft, said curved cam including a curved area of constant radius having said pivot pin as an axis, a stop at the end of said curved area adjacent said bracket, a curved area of increasing radius relative to said pivot pin merging into the first mentioned curved area, and a short retaining area at the end of the second curved area away from said bracket and having a stop directing the roller into the retaining area.

12. A door mechanism as set forth in claim 11 in which said housing is secured to the cabinet door and the bracket is secured to the cabinet frame, and said spring-biasing means includes an arm having an enlarged head at one end and an elongated slot adjacent the opposite end, said enlarged head being pivotally mounted on said follower shaft and said slot receiving said pivot pin, and a spring encompassing said arm with one end abutting the enlarged head and the opposite end abutting the pivot pin.

13. A door mechanism as set forth in claim 11 in which said housing is secured to the cabinet frame and the bracket is secured to the cabinet door, and the springbiasing means includes a pair of parallel abutting arms having aligned elongated slots adjacent one end to receive said pivot pin, said arms at the opposite end having oppositely offset flanges forming a space therebetween and pivotally mounted on said follower shaft, said cam roller being mounted on said shaft in the space between the offset flanges, and a spring encompassing said arms and having one end abutting said pivot pin and the other end abutting the offset for said offset flanges.

References Cited BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HINGE ASSEMBLY PROVIDING A SELF-CLOSING ACTION FROM APPROXIMATELY 45* OPEN POSITION COMPRISING A HINGE WING ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A CABINET AND A HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A CABINET DOOR, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING PARALLEL SIDE WALLS JOINED BY A BASE AND HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING MOUNTING FLANGES, SAID HOUSING BEING CLOSED AT ONE END AND OPEN AT THE END ADJACENT THE HINGE WING, A PIVOTAL MOUNTING JOINING ONE EDGE OF THE HINGE WING WITH THE OPEN END OF THE HOUSING, SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING ELONGATED IRREGULAR ALIGNED SLOTS THEREIN, A GENERALLY U-SHAPED LINK HAVING A BASE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND SAID HOUSING AND JOINING A PAIR OF DIVERGENT ARMS TERMINATING IN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ENDS, A PAIR OF SPACED EARS ON SAID HINGE WING ADJACENT THE EDGE OPPOSITE SAID PIVOTAL MOUNTING RECEIVING THE ENDS OF THE LINK, AND SPRINGBIASING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A PIVOT PIN MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING NEARER THE OPEN END THEREOF, A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED GUIDES AND A SPRING URGING SAID GUIDES OUTWARDLY, ONE GUIDE BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT PIN AND THE OPPOSITE GUIDE BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID LINK, SAID IRREGULAR SLOTS EACH HAVING AN ARCUATE PORTION ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE HOUSING WITH 